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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27946070">Along Came the Sun</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleboat/pseuds/littleboat'>littleboat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Secret Messages, changing the season, kagehina soulmate agenda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:15:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,335</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27946070</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleboat/pseuds/littleboat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Once upon a time, on the longest day of the year, a child was born. He was no ordinary child, for he would shine like the Sun. </p><p>Once upon a time, on the shortest day of the year, a child was born. He was no ordinary child, for he would glow like the Moon.</p><p>or Hinata and Kageyama change the seasons</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>87</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Along Came the Sun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this fic was inspired by <a href="https://twitter.com/oatmvlks">oatmvlks</a>, who made the mistake of informing me that Hinata was born on the summer solstice and Kageyama was born on the winter solstice.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once upon a time, on the longest day of the year, a child was born. He was no ordinary child, for he would shine as the Sun, smell of the flowers, and smile like the never ending blue sky.</p><p>Once upon a time, on the shortest day of the year, a child was born. He was no ordinary child. He would glow like the Moon and smell of crisp winter air. Rather than smile, though, he pushed the world away, choosing to close himself off.</p><p>The summer child was named Hinata, and by the age of four, he was tasked with raising the sunflowers, warming the oceans, and tending to the seasonal fruit.</p><p>Hinata’s mother taught him how to count on the seeds of watermelons. She taught him patience and endurance during the muggy, humid days, and mercy and respite during the cool nights, when the sun slept.</p><p>The winter child was named Kageyama, by his grandfather, who taught him how to guide the birds south and how to tuck in the squirrels and bears as they settled in for their slumber. Kageyama learned not to judge a book by its cover through the orange skin of persimmons, deceptively bitter when unmarred, and bursting with sweet when bruised.</p><p>Kageyama’s grandfather taught him how to count on the crimson seeds of pomegranates. He taught Kageyama how to chill water to ice, and then, with a wink to let him know it was their secret, taught him how to skate on that ice.</p><p>As the years passed by, the two boys rarely thought of each other. For Hinata was preoccupied with the lightning bugs and the bluebirds, Kageyama with the penguins and the polar bears.</p><p>Hinata spent his days tumbling in the long grasses, kicking his feet in gurgling river banks. But he secretly thrilled every time a chill started to pass over the world. He loved the way squirrels stuffed their cheeks full of food, of the way humans bought silly things like hats with baubles and chocolate they could drink.</p><p>When he was ten and the title ‘Patron of Summer’ was passed to him, Hinata brought about the longest, warmest summers the world had ever known, excited for the winters that would follow.</p><p>But when winter came that year, everything changed. No longer was the season cozy and full of warm soups and books by the fireplace. Instead, it became long and bitter. Children no longer played in the snow. The sun no longer gleamed off the ice’s surface. Harsh winds whipped at people’s clothing, shook rooftops and cracked fingertips.</p><p>People rejoiced when summer came that year. And for many years after, it remained that way.</p><p>After another grueling winter, Hinata finally began to wonder, who was the person responsible for this chill?</p><p>The patrons of the seasons rarely interacted, for they were often confined to different continents, hemispheres, corners of the world.</p><p>One day, when Hinata is coaxing buds onto the barren trees, he finds a boy his age, sitting by a riverbank, tears of ice sliding down his face.</p><p>Hinata ambles over and sits down next to him. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>The boy frowns at him, but says nothing, glaring at the water in front of them.</p><p>“My name is Hinata Shoyo.” He takes in the boy's red nose and ruddy cheeks and holds his hand out. “It’s been awfully cold these past few years, don’t you think?”</p><p>Instead of taking Hinata’s outstretched hand, the boy smacks it away. “What do you know about the cold?” the boy says, and it sends a shiver down Hinata’s spine.</p><p>“I’m here to turn winter into summer.”</p><p>The boy turns to Hinata, startled. “You change the seasons too?”</p><p>(Hinata is used to the human children laughing at him when he says he changes the seasons, so this reaction is certainly shocking.)</p><p>“Yeah, I’m the Patron of Summer.”</p><p>Guilt flashes over the boy’s face, but then he steels his gaze. “I’m the Patron of Winter.”</p><p>Hinata scrambles to sit up straight. The Patron of Winter? This boy? With his gangly limbs and tear tracks and permanent scowl? This is the boy people write carols and poems and songs about? This is the boy who’s supposed to turn the world into a winter wonderland? This boy looked one gust of wind away from falling over.</p><p>“Nice to meet you,” Hinata says, and means it, for he’s never met anyone like himself. He sticks his hand out again, but the boy glares at it.</p><p>“Kageyama Tobio,” he says, and Hinata takes that as a win.</p><p>“Kageyama! Why have the winters been so cold?”</p><p>“None of your business,” Kageyama huffs.</p><p>“Did the last Patron do a bad job of teaching you how to change the seasons? Because I could ask—”</p><p>Before Hinata knows what’s happening, he’s being tackled into the ground and shoved into a pile of snow.</p><p>“Don’t talk about my grandfather like that,” Kageyama says, and the icy tears are back in full force.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Hinata pleads, struggling to get out of Kageyama’s surprisingly strong grasp. “I just figured, with how cold it was—”</p><p>“I know it’s cold,” Kageyama snaps, finally easing off of him. Kageyama retreats to the lip of the riverbank again. Huddled amongst the twigs and dried leaves, he looks more like a wounded animal than a force of nature. “It’s cold on purpose.”</p><p>Hinata’s brow furrows. “But why?”</p><p>Kageyama thinks of his grandfather, his loud laugh, his warm hand holding onto Kageyama’s own, the grooves of his palms that felt like home, and cries harder still.</p><p>Hinata’s face falls. “Oh. I’m sorry,” he whispers, and means it. He’s never experienced loss, but he’s seen the way it shatters all that it touches.</p><p>Kageyama looks away. He doesn’t need anyone’s condolences.</p><p>“Do you want to be friends?” Hinata asks, small and tentative.</p><p>“No,” Kageyama says.</p><p>But what he means is: there is no one in this world who loves me anymore.</p><p>Hinata doesn’t see Kageyama for years after that, but he never forgets about the boy so unlike himself. Hinata hopes he’s doing well, but has no way of reaching him.</p><p>The weather grow unimaginably colder. Power outages become widespread. Animals that go to sleep in the winter do not wake up in the spring. Trees shrivel and die, and no matter how hard Hinata tries, he can’t bring them back to life.</p><p>After three years of this, Hinata resolves to find Kageyama, to demand that he become a fairer Patron. As it turns out, he doesn’t have to look far.</p><p>Hinata finds Kageyama sitting on top of a hill, wreaking havoc over a corner of the earth that has never known winter. He sends brutal winds and covers the ground in snow, the first the people in this warm region of land have seen in decades.</p><p>“Kageyama!” he calls out.</p><p>Kageyama pauses for a moment, but when he sees that it’s Hinata, he resumes his chaos.</p><p>“Why are you doing this?” Hinata pleads, but Kageyama doesn’t answer him.</p><p>Time has changed Kageyama. The years have made him angrier, deepened his scowl. But they’ve also made him unfairly handsome. His dark hair grazes his ears, his bright eyes sparkle even through his frowns, and he’s tall.</p><p>Hinata can barely reach the lowest branches of the trees.</p><p>“You’re making everyone here miserable,” Hinata says, putting himself between Kageyama and the poor humans struggling to stay warm.</p><p>“If they can’t keep up with the weather, that’s their problem,” Kageyama says. He tries to push Hinata aside, but Hinata stands his ground. Kageyama’s hands are ridiculously cold against Hinata’s bare arms.</p><p>He puts his hand over Kageyama’s, and this seems to shock him enough to stop.</p><p>Hinata takes Kageyama’s freezing hand between his own. “Everyone hates winter because of what you’re doing.”</p><p>“The point of winter is to be cold, stupid.”</p><p>“But not so cold that you’re preventing new life from growing.”</p><p>Hinata looks into Kageyama’s eyes then, and sees a mix of things: rage, fear, and an aching loneliness.</p><p>“Everyone likes my season more than yours,” Hinata says. There’s a challenge in his voice.</p><p>Kageyama comes up short. For the first time in years, he thinks of the season his grandfather used to bless the world with, thinks of the way people would cheer for the first snow of the season, of the way they used to bundle into colorful sweaters and patterned scarves.</p><p>People loved winter then. Loved his grandfather. But who is there to love Kageyama?</p><p>“When I was younger, winter was my favorite season,” Hinata confides.</p><p>Kageyama realizes that his hand is still in Hinata’s. And that for the first time in years, heat is seeping through his skin.</p><p>He snatches his hand away, shoves it in the pocket of his pants.</p><p>“I loved catching snowflakes on my tongue. I loved that they were all different shapes and sizes. I loved watching the humans build snowpeople and make snow angels and throw handfuls of it at each other. But hardly anyone goes outside anymore.</p><p>“It’s a shame that winter is so ugly now.”</p><p>Hinata knows that his sly words have landed when a different fire burns in Kageyama’s eyes.</p><p>“It’s not ugly, you’re ugly, stupid tangerine.”</p><p>He smacks Kageyama in the arm. “Am not! At least people look forward to seeing me!”</p><p>And Kageyama can’t argue with that.</p><p>He leaves that conversation stewing. How dare Hinata insinuate that the season his grandfather took such good care of was ugly.</p><p>He’d get him back.</p><p>Kageyama spends the rest of the season plotting for ways to one up Hinata. And when he wakes up to the first signs of warm weather, he knows that Hinata has been thinking the same.</p><p>By June, carnations and lilies and begonias and cosmos sprout from every nook and cranny. Blue jays and robins and warblers sing their songs, making all who pass by look up into the trees for a glimpse of the maestros. The water and sky are bluer, the humans are kinder.</p><p>It’s the most beautiful summer Kageyama’s ever experienced.</p><p>That winter, Kageyama pulls out all the stops. The snow flakes are soft and fat. They land on gloved fingers, kiss rosy noses.</p><p>The ponds freeze over smoothly, and Kageyama watches as children lace on their first pair of skates, as lovers relive old memories, as groups of friends make new ones.</p><p>Wind blows the scent of the pines into the air and the animals that are still awake patter through fresh snow, leaving trails of paw prints.</p><p>Kageyama listens with satisfaction as a human gushes over the radio about “the nicest winter we’ve had in almost a decade.”</p><p>He finds it endearing that humans choose to experience things as a group.</p><p>Kageyama and Hinata continue like this for years. At some point, they begin to leave messages for each other.</p><p>One year, Kageyama leaves only one tangerine tree still bearing fruit. Hinata leaves him nothing but a pile of peels.</p><p>Another year, Hinata leaves a twin pair of winter foxes awake to nibble at Kageyama’s ankles. Kageyama gently hoists them up and finds them a nice burrow to settle into.</p><p>And when Hinata leaves a pair of swans, necks forming a heart, in the middle of a pond for Kageyama, his pulse quickens. Kageyama hasn’t seen Hinata for years, but there’s no mistaking what this is.</p><p>In turn, Kageyama leaves Hinata the most spectacular aurora borealis he can muster. It might have been a little overboard, but Hinata must get the message, because the next summer, all of the fireflies seem to glow that much brighter.</p><p>The nature of their game changes.</p><p>When it’s Kageyama’s turn to pull winter over his half of the globe, he scours the bark of the evergreen trees for the love letters Hinata writes into them.</p><p>When it’s Hinata’s turn, he waits anxiously to see what winter bulbs Kageyama has left behind. Sometimes it’s tulips, other times, daffodils or dahlias.</p><p>It reaches a head on the day of the vernal equinox, in between both of their birthdays.</p><p>They find each other at the same riverbank they met at. The leaves are every shade of red, orange, purple, and they flutter off the trees and land on the water’s surface.</p><p>“The humans said this summer set a record for best weather in almost twenty years,” Hinata says, grinning wide.</p><p>Time has changed him. He’s grown taller. Still not as tall as Kageyama, but tall enough to pick up fallen baby birds and slip them back into their nests. His shoulders are broader and he’s filled out.</p><p>But then, Kageyama has changed, too. He’s grown his final few inches, and his hair now frames his forehead. But the biggest difference is the look in his eyes, the smile that has finally found its place on his face.</p><p>“Well, the humans don’t know that this year, they’re going to have a record number of frozen waterfalls to visit.”</p><p>Hinata whistles. “That’s a tough one, but we’ll let the humans decide.”</p><p>Kageyama steps closer to Hinata. “Your hair matches the leaves.”</p><p>He scrunches his nose. “Your eyes match the night sky.”</p><p>“Stop staring at my eyes, idiot.”</p><p>“Stop staring at mine,” Hinata counters, but he’s smiling so wide it could split his face. Kageyama knows he’s wearing one to match, as Hinata reaches up and pulls an errant leaf out of Kageyama’s hair.</p><p>“Thank you,” Kageyama says.</p><p>He doesn’t specify what for, but he doesn’t need to. At the rate Kageyama was going, the world would have frozen over. But then, along came the sun.</p><p>Hinata steps on his tiptoes, pulls Kageyama by the collar, and presses a kiss to his lips. That kiss contains the warmth of the hearth, of full homes and hearts, of families gathered by the fire, of lovers piled under blankets.</p><p>It’s nothing like the frost of Kageyama’s youth.</p><p>Kageyama pulls Hinata’s hands off his jacket, fits his own into them, and thinks he’s finally found home again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/blulights">blulights</a> for being my wonderful beta :&gt;</p><p>come say hi on <a href="https://twitter.com/littleboatau">twt</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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